At the end of the conference the representatives of the Indigenous
College of Saskatchewan in Canada, announced that they will convene a
gathering of representatives of all indigenous peoples of the Americas,
from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego during the year 2000 to celebrate
humanity's entry into the 21st century, "which will be the century of
the Earth and of the Indigenous People," they said. The various
cultures of the indigenous people will be represented in dances, music,
ceremonials, etc. It is conceived as an event of joy as we enter a new
century.

I could not resist and played for them the Ode to Joy of Beethoven on
my ten holes harmonica and distributed to them the text of my Dream
2000.

I also felt a sense of pride for having opened the doors of the United
Nations, which had been closed for many years to the Hopi Indians, to
deliver in the 1980's their prophecy on atomic arms, and for having
obtained from the UN the celebration of the first International Year of
the Indigenous People in 1993, followed by an International Decade from
1994 to 2004.

Good News of the Day:In
today's era of high technology and endless information, in a culture
where cell phones, computers and the internet seem to infuse every
corners of our lives, "79 percent of the people on our planet digitally
are excluded," reveals Ashoka Fellow Rodrigo Baggio. Armed with the
vision to empower low-income youth with computer skills, Baggio founded
CDI: The Center for Digital Inclusion. Starting from one of the most
dangerous, poverty-stricken communities of Brazil, Baggio and his team
have spearheaded a technological and cultural transformation across 13
countries. Teens who were once headed for gangs and drugs have found
new outlets for their energies: making videos about social issues. "I
never thought I had a future in front of me," says Wanderson da Silva
Skrock who, at fourteen, was dealing drugs. "I believe you can rescue
someone, even from the very bottom," the now CDI teacher states. [ more ]

Be The Change:
Offer to teach a skill to someone. You never know where the ripples might go.
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